Ocean Stories

For Canadian diver Mavis McRae, having the chance to join with Dr. Earle on May’s Bahamas Hope Spot Expedition was a dream come true. Fourteen years ago, McRae picked up ‘Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans’ in the University of Manitoba bookstore. The book changed her view about our ocean planet, and she determined that someday she would meet her hero, Dr. Earle in person.

McRae’s wish came true in May of this year when Mission Blue invited members of the public to join in a Bahamas Expedition to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
Even before joining the expedition, McRae queried Mission Blue about how she might help to spread our message of throughout Canada. Engaging the services of a public relations consultant to create a campaign, she has just now finished a tour of Canada from Winnipeg to Calgary, including radio and television appearances, newspaper articles and visits to several schools.…

Yesterday, July 4th, people across the United States looked to the skies to enjoy elaborate firework displays. However, some of the most impressive “fireworks” go on underwater every day, deep in the world’s ocean.
Researchers say that 80 to 90 percent of undersea creatures can generate light through an intricate chemical process known as bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the result of a chemical reaction between two chemicals, luciferase and luciferin, in the presence of oxygen.
Marine vertebrates, invertebrates as well as microorganisms generate bioluminescence. In today’s gallery meet six fascinating marine creatures that literally light up the dark, often to distract predators and sometimes, to attract prey and mates.
Click through the gallery and enjoy this underwater lightshow….…

Julia Reisser spends her days poring over mapping data in the hopes she can help sea turtle hatchlings negotiate a deadly, and increasingly prevalent, ocean hazard: floating plastic.
Reisser, a researcher and PhD student at The University of Western Australia, is creating the first map to show the distribution of floating marine plastics in Australian waters. The map will allow her to create computer models of plastic pathways and sea turtle hatchling movements to determine where the creatures are encountering large amounts of plastic that threaten their health.
A researcher for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (ISIRO), Reisser, who is from Brazil, has been studying sea turtles for nearly a decade and only broadened her research to include marine plastics in 2010.…

This July, Mission Blue’s founder Dr. Sylvia Earle will team up with One World One Ocean for a 6-day mission to Aquarius Reef Base — the mission has been dubbed “Mission Aquarius.”
As previously reported by Mission Blue, Aquarius Reef Base, located off Key Largo, Florida, is the world’s only fully-functional underwater laboratory dedicated to marine science, education and outreach and ocean exploration. While the Mission Aquarius team will oversee an ambitious research agenda, outreach and education about Aquarius and the many scientific achievements it’s helped support will also take center stage.
Starting July 16, One World One Ocean and Mission Blue will be reporting in real-time from the Aquarius Habitat. One World One Ocean will bring our followers live interviews and real-time footage that highlights the scientific research conducted by the mission team.…

By Mera McGrew
Four miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida sits the world’s single fully-functional underwater laboratory dedicated to marine science and exploration.
Sitting on a sand patch some sixty feet below the ocean’s surface the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Aquarius underwater habitat has allowed marine scientists and ocean explorers to stay underwater for days, even weeks at a time to conduct cutting-edge research that has broadened our understanding of the world’s ocean and it’s many fragile ecosystems.
Typically, scientists live in Aquarius, which looks like a submarine fixed to the ocean floor, during ten-day missions. During that time they’re able to dive continuously without ever re-surfacing. Instead they return directly to the underwater laboratory, which also houses their living quarters.…

It’s common knowledge that repeated exposure to the pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers often found on grocery store produce can be harmful to your health, but did you know that those chemicals affect sea life (and seafood) too? Pesticides that flush from farm fields down waterways into the ocean accumulate in fish – especially those in near-shore coastal areas and estuaries. The Food and Drug Administration warns that repeated exposure to seafood contaminated with pesticides poses a human health hazard.
Now that it’s peak produce season, there’s a lot of buzz about how to pick the best fruits and veggies – and what kinds of pesticides and other chemicals might be on them. That little “organic” sticker can mean a bigger price tag, so sometimes it’s nice to be able to prioritize what to buy organic based on which fruits and veggies carry the highest pesticide risk. …

Today is the last day for the public to submit comments that could play a critical role in redefining the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.…

By Mera McGrew
Scotland is taking steps to protect its rich marine ecosystem by creating a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA).
Scotland is just one of many jurisdictions seeking to protect their ocean heritage — Over the past few weeks Mission Blue has reported on both Australia and California planning to expand their own ocean sanctuaries.
As for Scotland, the government’s Scottish Natural Heritage has begun discussions with various stakeholders to come up with a final outline for the MPA network
Local ocean advocates say the discussions are a chance to expand protections to Seabirds, bottle-nosed dolphins and Minke whales, all of which are not included in the current plan.
“Scotland’s seas are home to some of the most important habitats in northern Europe, we have enough scientific evidence to support this and we should be showcasing these species, instead of side-lining them,” Sarah Dolman, an executive with Scotland’s Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, told the BBC.…

Founder of Mission Blue and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Dr. Sylvia Earle and biologist and author Dr. E.O. Wilson were on yesterdays National Public Radio’s midday news-show “Talk of the Nation.”  The two took listeners into the field, discussed what they have learned over the years and the future they see in biology and marine studies.
If you missed the show, click HERE to listen to the full story. …

By Dr. Wallace J. Nichols
Fifteen years ago the hawksbill sea turtle pictured would have been hog-tied, whisked hundreds of miles, slaughtered and carved into trinkets.
Today, he swam free.
On Baja’s Pacific coast, an adult male hawksbill sea turtle found its way into a fisherman’s net. In the past, for the fisherman anyway, such a thing would have been considered a stroke of good luck. The endless demand for turtle meat, eggs, skin and shell on the black market can provide a nice payday to anyone willing to endure the low-level risk of being caught.
Hawksbill turtles, once common, are now increasingly rare due to decades of being hunted for their beautiful shells, which get carved into combs, broaches, and other adornments.…